Appliance for regulating the hardness of rontgen-ray tubes



H. F. EIKEN;

APPLIANCE FOR REG ULATING THE HARDNESS 0F R O'NTGEN RAY TUBES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15, 1920. I

1 ,4 1s,1 39. P tented May 30, 1922.

' gen-tube.

HJ'ALMAR FREDERIK EIKEN, 0F SKORPING, DENMARK.

APPLIANCE FOR REGULATING THE HARDNESS 01E RiJ -NTGEN-RAY TUBES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30, 1922.

Application filed January 15, 1920. I Serial No. 351,698.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that HJALMAI: Fnnnnnn;

EIKEN, citizen of the Kingdom of Denmark, 7

residing at Nationalforenings Sanatorium, at Skorping, Denmark, hasinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Appliances forRegulating the Hardness of Rontgen-Ray Tubes, of which the following isa specification.

The present invention relates to a device by means of which the hardnessof Routgen-ray tubes may be regulated while the tubes are being used.The penetrative force of Rontgen-rays varies continually and increaseswith the vacuum in the tube- The vacuum increases with use of the tube,and it, therefore, becomes necessary to provide means for controllingthe vacuum so as to regulate the penetrative power of the rays. Variousmethods and devices for this purpose are known. One of the most commonlyknown regulating methods is the so-called osmo-regulation by which athin tube of platinum, palladium or similar metal communicating with theinterior of the Routgen-tube is heated to glow-heat by means of a gas oralcohol-flame. A portion of the hydrogen present in the flame diffusesthen through the wall of the tube into the Rontgen-ray tube and softensthe latter.

This regulation is difficult on account of requiring the presence of aflame, and it is not suited for operation at some distance from theRontgen-ray tube, a feature which would very frequently be' desirable.

The present invention relates to a regulating device which is easy andsimple to manipulate at any distance from the Rontgenray tube, and bywhich the use of a flame is avoided. The invention is based on the factthat some metals, especially palladium, allow the difi'usion of gases,especially hydrogen, even at ordinary temperature. A thin tube, a plateor the like of such metal is placed in such a manner that itcommunicates with the interior of the Rontgentube and, at the same time,acts as an electrode in an electrolyte by which, when current is sentthrough, a suitable gas is generated which then diffuses into the Rout-The. regulation. may thus be effected simply by closing the circuit byway of the electrolyte. On the drawing,

Fig. 1 shows, diagrammatically, the principle underlying the invention,

Fig. 2 a vertical section of one manner of constructing the regulatingdevice,

Fig, 3 the same, in end VleW,

Fig. 4 a vertical section of another construction,

Fig. 5 this other construction, in end View.

In Fig. 1, 1 indicates an enlargement on the Rontgen-tube whercon theregulating device is to be placed. 2 is a thin tube of suitable metal,for instance. palladium. This tube is open at one end 3, extending intothe Rontgen-tubc into the wall of which the tube 2 is fused. The otherend of the tube 2 which is closed, extends into a vessel 5 containing anelectrolyte, for instance diluted sulphuric acid. In the vessel there isalso provided another electrode 4: which may be of carbon or othersuitable material. The electrodes 2 and 4: are connected, by means ofconductors 8 and 9, to a battery 6 and a switch 7 The battery mayconsist of galvanic elements or of accumulators, or use may be made ofthe current from a lighting plant, there being inserted a suitableseries resistance, for instance a lamp. When the switch 7 which may beany kind of circuit-breaker or push-button is closed, a current willcommence to pass through the circuit, whereby the electrolyte isdecomposed. The gas generated at the electrode 2 diffuses through thistube into the Rentgen-tube, thereby decreasing the vacuum In Figs. 2 and3, there is shown a modification of the device in which the electrolytecontainer 5 is provided with a tubular member 10 adapted to receive thetubular enlargement 1 on the Rdntgen-tube. The electrode 2, whichextends into the electrolyte-container 5, is connected to abinding post11 to which the conductor 8 may be connected. The other electrode 4which may be of any shape is connected to a bindand the palladium tubeis then bent down into the electrolyte-containerand is connected to thebinding post 11.

i Figs- 4 and 5 show another modification of the device, theeleetrolyte-container being integral with the glass wall of theRilntgen- I tube. Into the end wall 13 of the electhroughout its entirelength or a portion thereof, forms a tube being open at the end 3 whichprojects into the Rontgen-tube.

tube 15, by way of which the electrolyte may be poured into theelectrolyte-container 5, prevents the electrolyte from escaping, even ifthe Rontgen-tube might occupy a sloping position. The tube 15 may beclosed by means of a plug 16.

As will be obvious other modifications may be made, and those shown maybe further modified or altered or have details thereof omitted Withoutdeparting from the spirit of this invention as defined by the followingclaim.

Patent claim: 7

A device for controlling the vacuum in a Rontgen-tube comprising anelectrolyte container having a tubular extension embracing the'Rontgen-tube, and an electrode communicating with said tube andextending into said container, the gas liberated from the electrolytebeing conducted through said electrode.

In testimony whereof he afiixes his signature this 17th day of November,1919- I-IJALMAR FREDERIK EIKEN.

